Who needs duplicate photos? It looks messy and takes storage.
Duplicate photos are the clutter gremlins of the digital world. They eat up precious storage, making your phone sluggish and grumpy. Plus, who wants to scroll through an endless loop of the same sunset?
So ditch the duplicates! It’s like spring cleaning for your memories. Keep the best ones, the ones that make you laugh, cry, or simply feel warm and fuzzy.
Why do duplicate photos appear on iPhones?
Duplicate photos on your iPhone can occur for various reasons. It could be software bugs or synchronizing and backup. Let’s see some points on why there are duplicate photos:
- Syncing and Backup:
- If you sync your iPhone with iTunes or Finder on your computer and there’s an issue during the syncing process, it may result in duplicate photos.
- iCloud Photo Library can sometimes create duplicates if there are synchronization issues.
- Importing Photos Multiple Times:
- When you import photos from external devices, such as a camera or SD card, into your iPhone, if there’s an interruption or if the import process is repeated, it can lead to duplicates.
- Photo Stream Issues:
- If you use iCloud Photo Stream, duplicates may occur if there are syncing problems between devices.
- App Glitches:
- Certain apps or software glitches may cause photos to duplicate. This can happen during the photo editing process or when transferring photos between apps.
- Restore from Backup:
- When restoring your iPhone from a backup, especially if the backup is not up-to-date or there are inconsistencies, it might result in duplicate photos.
- Manually Copying Photos:
- If you manually copy photos from one location to another on your iPhone, you may unintentionally create duplicates.
- Software Bugs:
- Occasionally, bugs in the iOS operating system can lead to issues like duplicate photos.
How to remove duplicate photos from iPhone
1. Use the Photos App:
- Open the “Photos” app on your iPhone.
- Navigate to the “Albums” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Look for an album named “Recently Deleted.” Tap on it.
- Check if the duplicate photos are present in the “Recently Deleted” album. If they are, tap on “Select” at the top-right corner.
- Select the duplicate photos you want to delete.
- Tap on “Delete” at the bottom-right corner to permanently remove the selected duplicates.
2. Third-Party Apps:
Alternatively, you can use third-party apps that are designed to find and delete duplicate photos. Here are a few examples:
- Remo Duplicate Photos Remover: This app can help you find and delete duplicate photos on your iPhone.
- Duplicate Photos Fixer: Another app designed to identify and remove duplicate photos.
Please note that using third-party apps comes with the usual precautions. Make sure to read reviews, check permissions, and choose a reputable app.
3. iTunes or Finder (for Mac):
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).
- Select your iPhone.
- Go to the “Photos” tab.
- Choose to sync photos and select a folder. This process may overwrite your existing photos, so be cautious.
4. Manual Cleanup:
If you have a small number of duplicate photos, you can manually delete them from the Photos app:
- Open the “Photos” app.
- Navigate to the album or camera roll where the duplicates are located.
- Tap on “Select” at the top-right corner.
- Manually select the duplicate photos.
- Tap on the trash icon to delete them.
Merge duplicate photos and videos on the iPhone
The photo app identifies duplicate photos and videos on your iPhone. It is in the duplicate album in your photo library. You save space by merging the duplicate photos and videos.
- Tap to the Albums tab, then tap Duplicates below Utilities. Duplicate photos and videos appear next to each other.
- Tap Merge to combine the duplicates, then tap Merge [number] Items. Merging combines the highest quality version and all of the relevant data across the duplicates, and keeps that one in your library. The remaining duplicates are moved to the Recently Deleted album.